You gotta love The Onion's witty satire. This one was awesome.

You have likely heard of the Lakewood, CO baker who appealed a court decision forcing him to provide wedding cakes for same-sex couples under the state's anti-discrimination laws.

Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, has lost his appeal and according to an Fox News article by Todd Starns will have to have he and his entire staff undergo "comprehensive training on Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws."

We have no 'dog in the hunt', as they say in the south, beyond what we found when, out of curiosity, we looked for reviews for Masterpiece Cakeshop. We do happen to believe that a private company should have the liberty to decide which market they serve, but that's another post in another venue.

Yelp claims on their website:  "We use automated software developed by our engineers to recommend reviews from the Yelp community. The software looks at dozens of different signals, including various measures of quality, reliability, and activity on Yelp. Most of all, however, it’s looking for people who are intrinsically motivated to share the wide range of rich and detailed experiences they have every day with local businesses." (http://www.yelp.com/faq#which_to_recommend)

What we found were many recommended reviews that seemed to simply be "protest reviews". Jon H. of Uptown Chicago, IL (a mere 1,016 miles away), for example, left a 1 star review and said, "So rather than being a civil, loving, welcoming person like your Bible asks of you, you have chosen to act like a child by taking your toys home to play by yourself. No more wedding cakes since the law ruled on the side of equality, love, and acceptance?!? Pathetic."

There is no way for us to know if Jon has ever set foot in Masterpiece Cakeshop, but based on his review being simply a protest to the owners personal beliefs, we would guess not. How does it make sense to allow Jon H.'s 1 star review affect their Yelp rating by recommending it? It doesn't. Further, how in the world does Yelp "recommend" this as a review from someone who has had "detailed experiences...with local businesses"? 

One can only conclude that Yelp's great filter is broken or worse - not what they claim, right? What are your thoughts? Do you have a Yelp story you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you.

According to a new study by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 59% of patients say online reviews were "somewhat important" or "very important' when selecting a physician.

Combine that information with the Harvard Business School survey that concluded a one-star drop in your reviews equates to a 10% revenue reduction. 

Review sites such as Vitals.com and Healthgrades.com give patients a strength and platform to imact a medical practice more than ever before. About one-third of those surveyed said that they have choosen or rejected a doctor on the basis of online reviews.

Unlike times past, doctors today are going to have to address the transparancy brought about by the internet. Ignoring online reviews is not a winning strategy. Here are a few tips you can employ to help make a positive impact.

1. Request Reviews - If you want someone to do something, you have to ask.  Especially in light of HIPAA regulations, having the patient initiate the process is critical. More than just doctor interaction impacts reviews. Issues of timeliness, staff experience, physician interaction, etc. all impact the review. The doctor's "grade" is based on averages so getting more positive reviews can offset a single upset patient review.
   
   
2. Respond to EVERY Review - That may seem like overkill, but to the degree it's possible you should respond to each review whether positive or negative. You don't have to disclose anything in your response that would violate HIPAA to be effective, but you need to learn how best to respond. You needn't be argumentative if you receive a negative review. Your level headed response that sticks to the facts will far outshine the rant of a disgruntled patient. Just like in person interaction, when someone pays a compliment, you say thank you; so you should online as well. Something as simple as, "Thanks for the kind words, it means the world!" can make a big impression.
   
   
3. Reputation Management - Tools such as our own Chatterbox Reviews can make the entire process of seeking and syndicating reviews much more simple. Our automated system allows you to collect and promote your patient's reviews to the search engines, social media spaces, and to the review sites of your choice. Comprehensive systems will flag poor reviews and have them routed immediately so the issues can be addressed.
   
   
4. Learn then move on - Negative reviews are more difficult on some personalities than others, but you should do your best to learn from the reviews you read. That is not to say that you should pour over them for weeks or even days. Take the feedback and make adjustments where you can THEN MOVE ON!
   
   

If you'd like to demo Chatterbox Reviews CLICK HERE

According to Mashable, Facebook users around the U.S. are experiencing error messages when they update their status. Mashable reports the errors appear to be worldwide having tested with many different IP addresses. 

Have you been receiving error messages from Facebook? Sound off in the comments.

Jerry Sipple or as she was known to thousands that grew up in and around Latonia Baptist Church in Latonia, KY - Miss Jerry. Miss Jerry and her sister Miss Jeannie were the Kindergarten teachers at Latonia Baptist for over 30 years. During that time they taught by brother who was born in 1956 and my youngest nephew, born in 1987.

In that time Jerry and Jeannie touched the lives of many children, of which I am lucky to be a part.

One recurring theme of our relationship was the way her face would light up when she saw me, as if I was the only student she ever had - she would make you feel so incredibly special. In so doing, you were encouraged beyond anything else I had ever experienced. Bear in mind, I didn't see Miss Jerry every month or even every year, but no matter how much I changed, she always knew me and seemed as though I was recently on her mind.

When my sister went to an enrollment meeting in 1994, Miss Jerry informed the room, "we know that today people say adults shouldn't hug and kiss on children. Well, I want you to know that we are going to hug and kiss on your kids if their here." Boy did they! Always affectionate. Most greetings included Miss Jerry grasping my face in her hands to give me a kiss. 

One of the things that I'm certain she told every "boy" was, "You're still so handsome!" As she got older her eyesight began to dim. She could see shapes, but no detail any longer. During a recent visit with her I asked her about it. She said, "I can see you're there, but not much else." I assured her I was as handsome as ever. Her hearty laughter ended with, "oh David." 

Yesterday I got the news that Miss Jerry had died. It's brings tears as I write. This woman made such an investment in my life. I was only six years old, but my memories of being in their kindergarten class still remain as some of my most fond. Why would that be? I believe it's because she always focused on loving whomever she was with at the moment. She was my hero for that reason, among others. 

Miss Jerry you were a wonderful inspiration to many, thank you. 

A simple picture, stir in a question and "BOOM" you have instant virality. 

Like most marketers, I'm sure that Maria Kang didn't "intend" to create a viral post when she posted this picture of she and her children, but she sure did. 

She struck quite a nerve too. Over 759 shares, several hundred comments and over 2,500 LIKES. The comments range from "Where are your stretch marks b*t**!" to "wtg!" (Way to go)  So why does one thing go viral and another doesn't? Can we "produce" virality? I really don't think so, but Maria's challenge has many of the DNA markers of a viral post. 

1. An engaging image - regardless of how you feel about the image, it's message or the response it's received, by most standards she's an attractive woman (not dressed provocatively, thank you Maria), the kids are cute...there is much about this image that's appealing
2. It challenges your emotions - regardless of whether you were pissed at the audacious nature of her challenge or fired-up ready for a work out; your emotions were likely engaged.
3. It engages your curiosity - Let's face it, we are voyeuristic by nature. It's what keeps us glued to the train wreck. That's sort of what happens in this case. We will LIKE the page, COMMENT on a post, just so we can FOLLOW the adventure of someone else. 

The greatest take away in this is Maria had an opinion, she had a passionate opinion that galvanizes those around her. You can be "fer 'er" or "agin 'er" (for my friends from the NE - that would be FOR or AGAINST her) but she rouses the emotions and that what brings out comments; comments begat other comments which begat LIKES which begats SHARES!

So have an opinion. You don't have to stir things up on purpose, just share your passions and allow people to congregate around and cheer/jeer you! What do you think, should we have opinions in business?

You've probably wished people would just break it down for you quickly, after all, ain't nobody got time for that. Social media branding and marketing takes time, but where to begin and what to do?

music think tank has written a great overview that you can use to get your company started in the right direction. (Continue Reading)

Today's consumer has shut out traditional marketing. They have DVRs so they don't have to view commercials, apps and browser preferences that keep pop-ups and banners to a minimum. They are so over saturated getting their attention is more and more difficult.

So what next?
So where do you turn? Many voices, like Jay Baer, author of Youtility, say it is far easier to be useful than it is amazing and we agree.


Content marketing is that very thing; 

Like most everything else in marketing, there are some basics to content marketing as well. 

1. Have a plan
   Seems like that's a blinding flash of the obvious but we've all seen the social posts or tweets that bring literally no value to the audience. This is like the case of a company knowing they need to be involved yet unwilling to invest time or resources. 
   
   Simple things such as who are you as a company, what are you wanting to accomplish, what is your USP (unique selling proposition), who is your audience? Those are just a few of the questions that will lead you to begin to develop a content strategy.
2. Serve the audience
   In 2009, Marcus Sheridan of River Pools,  turned his failing pool business around with content marketing by simply answering "every question we've ever been asked and publishing them on a blog." If you want to get a sense of their commitment to this strategy of providing their audience with information they can use consider this; River Pools have 923 pages indexed in Google. There is little a consumer could want to know about pools and spas they won't find at www.riverpoolsandspas.com.
3. Engage the audience
   You don't simply want information consumers you want your audience to engage. Through downloadable content, calls to action and video you want to encourage your audience to take as much as they want. Do be afraid to give away your knowledge. Knowledge is only of value with the skill to execute. You will have some in your audience that can run with what you're giving them, you'll have more that can't. When they can't, who will they call, the company that has helped them with great content or one that has not?

Do you have any examples of great content marketing? We'd love to hear your comment

More and more the ages old idea of "Top of Mind Awareness" is quickly being supplanted by the idea of "Friend of Mine" awareness. In years past companies did everything they could to make sure that when the need arose, they were the supplier or provider the customer thought of first. Now, social media is turning it over to your friends to do it for them. 

Why is this happening? Well, there are at least 3 reasons:

1. Nothing is ever purchased without emotion
This has been true since the first transaction took place. We buy with emotion, we explain the reason with logic. That is not to say NO logic is used in the purchase, it's simply not dominate in the process.

2. We all seek affirmation
It's just part of the human psyche...I want you to approve of the way I think. You do the same thing. strategy varies, but we are all affirmation-seeking missiles. Therefore, if I recommend someone and you agree, you have affirmed me! (Thank you)

3. Social media is an outlet for both
It's a perfect storm of people seeking affirmation and espousing or emoting about their own decision or recommended choice.

If you click on the image to the left, you'll see a post about Stink Bugs being everywhere in Cincinnati. Simple enough. Innocuous enough, right?

As you move through the thread you see more banter on the subject, but then suddenly a "affirmation-seeking missile" rains down on the thread. "Call my guy," is essentially the post and within seconds, affirmation is provided. The thread went from the commercially unimportant to a full blown endorsement; which will be seen by each listed in the thread AND their entire networks possibly.

What are your thoughts? Share your ideas as to why social media is so effective promoting "friend of mine" awareness.